This invention relates to a graphic interface system and product for editing encoded audio data.
To more efficiently transmit digital audio data on low bandwidth data networks, or to store larger amounts of digital audio data in a small data space, various data compression or encoding systems and techniques have been developed. Many such encoded audio systems use as a main element in data reduction the concept of not transmitting, or otherwise not storing portions of the audio that might not be perceived by an end user. As a result, such systems are referred to as perceptually encoded or xe2x80x9clossyxe2x80x9d audio systems.
However, as a result of such data elimination, perceptually encoded audio systems are not considered xe2x80x9caudiophilexe2x80x9d quality, and suffer from processing limitations. To overcome such deficiencies, a method, system and product have been developed to encode digital audio signals in a loss-less fashion, which is more properly referred to as xe2x80x9ccomponent audioxe2x80x9d rather than perceptual encoding, since all portions or components of the digital audio signal are retained. Such a method, system and product are described in detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/771,790 entitled xe2x80x9cMethod, System And Product For Lossless Encoding Of Digital Audio Dataxe2x80x9d, which was filed on the same date and assigned to the same assignee as the present application, and is hereby incorporated by reference.
While waveform editors exist for linear encoded digital audio signals, no Graphical User Interface (GUI) tools exist for directly editing encoded audio data, such as perceptually encoded audio data or component audio data. As a result, encoded audio data must first be decoded to conventional high resolution audio for editing, and then the edited audio must be re-encoded.
Thus, there exists a need for a graphic interface system and product for editing encoded audio signals such as perceptually encoded and component audio signals. Such a system and product would allow precision editing of otherwise un-editable data to facilitate direct creation of extremely data compressed and high quality audio for use in any interactive service, CD-ROM, computer, multimedia system, or numerous other applications such as entertainment.
Accordingly, it is the principle object of the present invention to provide a graphic interface system and product for editing an encoded audio signals such as perceptually encoded and component audio signals.
According to the present invention, then, a graphic interface system is provided for editing an encoded audio signal. The system comprises a receiver for receiving an encoded audio signal having a plurality of frequency subbands, as well as control logic operative to generate a spectral graph of the encoded audio signal, the spectral graph including an amplitude of each frequency subband as a function of time, and to mark at least one selectable edit point of the encoded audio signal. The system further comprises a display unit for displaying the spectral graph including the at least one edit point marked, and an input device for selecting the at least one edit point.
A graphic interface product for editing an encoded audio signal is also provided. The product is for use with a receiver for receiving an encoded audio signal having a plurality of frequency subbands, a display unit and an input device. The product comprises a storage medium having computer readable programmed instructions recorded thereon, the instructions operative to generate a spectral graph of the encoded audio signal, the spectral graph including an amplitude of each frequency subband as a function of time, and to mark at least one selectable edit point of the encoded audio signal. The a display unit is provided for displaying the spectral graph including the at least one edit point marked, and the input device is provided for selecting the at least one edit point.
These and other objects, features and advantages will be readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.